Massive crater opens up in German village

Residents in a sleepy village in central Germany were terrified when a massive crater appeared in the earth.

According to officials, the unexplained hole, in the village of Schmalkalden, Thuringia, has a radius of 30 metres and is some 25 metres deep.

Nobody was thought to have been injured in the landslide but a driveway to a group of houses disappeared completely and a car was swallowed up. Cars in a nearby garage were parked right on the crater's edge.

The region's Environment Minister Juergen Reinholz said: "We have to get a good look at it first. What has happened is of course distressing and thankfully no one has been hurt as far as we know. Everyone is now at the scene who has expertise in this, so is our geological service, the Board of Mines. They will all look at this and decide what should happen next."

Cracks also appeared in the walls of neighbouring houses and rescue teams cordoned off the area some 50 metres around the crater. Officials said they had no idea what the reason for the landslide was.

"Normally this is a very stable area which has no holes in it and which isn't affected by mining. That is why it is such a surprise for us," said the mayor of Schmalkalden, Thomas Kaminski.

More than 20 residents had to leave their homes, and Mr Kaminski said that they would be given alternative accommodation until it was safe for them to return.